Hot-Swap AI - Possible?

#1 Well, the AI has to be good enough and even play like the player that it is acting as a place holder for. How about a neural net or similar that profiles the player as they play, and then when the player lags out, makes decisions based on what the AI has observed of the player's decisions while they were in the game? This would not allow for things people do like switching tactics mid-game or changing their strategies, but it would help the AI play a more realistic game.

#2 Check out the "Actor" resource, here

I don't know that its really any different from an AIPlayer with a PlayerConnection, but I don't know enough about the engine (yet) to comment.

#3 Its definetly possible. I wouldent go as far as Teds idea, that sounds insanely complex. I might have some simple AIs that the player can choose to come in when they lag. Maybe one "fleeing AI" that just tries to get out of the way and hide, a "Defensive AI" that hides and fires at targets, and probably a "Raging AI" that charges in guns blazing. At anyrate, the plan you explained where it just retreats sounds very practical. I am an expeirienced programmer, but im just starting to learn torque script so i can explain in detail how you would do it in torque, I do however know enough torque script to know it can be done.

#4 Thats gonna have to be a really smart AI, it sounds very possible but complex. Maybe for the AI you might want it to observe the player and pick up on how it plays so you won't have to create the AI entirely from stratch. Something like an Observer type AI, and when the player lags out, The AI picks up the player's player style and plays similar to it, since humans are very unpredicitable.

#5 I can see people getting andgry if an ai player were to kill them "stupid AI player". of course it would be better than standing there and loasing up on all the sniper shots. Also the AI player would have to match the players skill level. if there was a firefight that caused lag and then the ai player kicked in and owned everybody with a decent connection.

#6 If you are already observing the player, could you not just as easily track his/her stats. like hit ratio, etc. and have the AI set such as to intentionally miss at (player_hit_rate - some_AI_nerfing_constant)? Then the AI is (tuneably) not as good as the player, but 'should' be able to hold thier own for a bit in a firefight? This would prevent the 'AI pwnage' while still keeping the player from getting upset for dying to (hopefully uncontrollable) lag, or at least give him/her a chance at survival?
I can't really quote you any code, since I don't own TGE yet, (plan on buying it in about 2 months, maybe sooner), but since as the developer you have control over how the AI will perform, and I know neural net AI use modifier values to help determine action, it would not be difficult if you have a basic framework to add an axion that helps mitigate 'skill fairness'.

#7 Hi all,
Sad to see this discussion ended in 2005.
I have been trying to work on my bots, and what I read here is the key for my Ultimate bots.
Making a script that can monitor and duplicate a player's actions in-game. Making the bot learn different tactics that we humans use.
A script like that would be a dream for me.
I am new to scripting, been doing alot of editing, hit and miss stuff, but would love to get some advice and help in creating a script that will allow the AI to pick up the player's playing style and plays similar to it.
Thus, I would have the Ultimate Bots for Tribes 2.
I know Defender and others have done alot of work on the AI, and I hope someone can help me make the Ultimate Bots.
Thanks.